


Darker Instincts

by Shadowslayer1331



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowslayer1331/pseuds/Shadowslayer1331
Summary: After being stabbed in the back, quite literally, during an assassination job Mara awakens to learn she only survived due to an unexpected transformation.
Relationships: Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, this is just a quick note letting everyone know this will not be a full in depth retelling of the game. Everyone reading this likely already know the Quest's plotlines. Instead each chapter will show a snippet of my Vampire Dragonborns life. Current plans involve her transformation (this chapter), meeting a mage overly interested in her vampirism, when she reunites with Inigo and when Serana confesses her feelings for her.
> 
> This is my attempt at writing out a backstory for my Dragonborn. Something simple while events of the game mostly still happen the same.

Mara's eyes snapped open, her vision filled with bright crimson for a moment before it slowly calmed, color leaking back into the world around her. She found herself lying flat in the dirt and mud, half of her body in a puddle of crimson-colored water. Above her lay a blanket of stars. The sounds of rustling animals in the distant bushes and running water from a nearby river surrounding her. She was in the middle of nowhere, having awoken most unexpectedly, as most do not expect to awaken from death.

She was on a job, one that promised her riches beyond her wildest dreams. She never had much money in her life, being born to a poor family. Not that she blamed them, or hated them for it. No, she loved her parents and she would never change the circumstances of her birth. She simply wished to follow her dream, to become a better mage, something that cost more coin than she had ever carried before. She had a natural talent for the arcane arts and wished to see it blossom. The travel to Winterhold was expensive, however, so she didn't hesitate to accept the assassination job.

A lord named Dupan hired her and a Khajiit named Inigo. The two were tasked with killing his brothers. With them gone he would inherit a great fortune, one he promised to share with the both of them. Evidently, Inigo did not wish to share that reward, as after the job was completed he stabbed her in the back. Yet now, despite feeling his blade pierce her skin she was very much alive.

Sitting up she reached around, feeling for the wound that should be there yet wasn't. How could this be? She knew restoration magic, but she hadn't the time to cast any sort of healing spell before the darkness took her. The hole in her robes was still present, yet not the one in her flesh. Looking down at her hands she saw they were deathly pale. That was to be expected considering the loss of blood from a stab wound. One that didn't seem to exist anymore.

She stood, surprised yet again as she found she had the energy to actually walk, or even run if she wished it. How did one respond this way after being stabbed in the back? After taking a few cautious steps it hit her, an intense hunger. It was different from normal hunger, not what one felt when they desired food and drink, yet she couldn't place her finger on exactly how.

She realized she could smell her surroundings now. The sweet scent of blood wading off of every living creature in close proximity. Closing her eyes and focusing she could hear it too. She could hear the beating of every heart, the flow of the crimson nectar through every vein. This was wholly unnatural, something she never felt before in her life. It should have terrified her, but instead, she found the concept of drinking that nectar to be inviting, thrilling.

Why was she suddenly able to smell and hear the rush of blood? How was she able to heal from a clearly fatal wound, without the use of restoration magic? Why did she now feel an inexplicable hunger, a desire to devour the next living creature she came across?

It wasn’t hard to put the pieces of this puzzle together in her mind. Somehow, she became a vampire. She didn't recall ever being infected with Sanguinare Vampiris, yet here she stood, with the strong desire to drain something dry.

Had she contracted the infection without realizing it, or did something happen while she was unconscious from Inigo's attack? Could Inigo himself have been a vampire? Perhaps she was closer to one than she realized for some time, and that was how she caught the infection. Realizing she wouldn't receive answers to these burning questions she dropped the line of thought. Licking her lips, her tongue grazing her fangs, she found she was thankful for the sudden transformation, realizing she would now be dead were it not for her vampirism.

She considered it a blessing, something she knew most mortal’s abhorred. Was this line of reasoning due to her sudden vampirism? Did it cause her to enjoy it, to view things differently than she had before? Did it cause her darker instincts to rise to the surface, or was she the same person as before she died? Pushing these new questions aside as well she brought herself back to the present, eyes wandering in search of prey.

She let out a low growl, prepared to follow the sound of a nearby small heartbeat, that of a fox perhaps, or a rabbit. Suddenly she heard the sound of a snapping twig, her head snapping in that direction, the smell and sound of a much larger prey approaching. In the dark she spotted a figure, her eyes adjusting inhumanity fast to the surrounding shadows. She could see the woman clear as day now, wearing furs and reaching for an iron short sword on her hip. A bandit, perhaps looking for lost travelers who wandered into her territory.

Mara quickly reached for her own weapon, irritated to learn it was missing. Had Inigo stolen that too, in the hope of selling it for more gold? No matter, she would simply use a flame spell to defend herself if need be.

"Lost, little adventurer? Maybe I can help you," the bandit taunted, drawing her weapon with a grin, "perhaps if I were to lighten your load it would make travel much easier on you"

Petty threats, murder, cruelty. That's all these bandits ever offered, never once caring for the feelings or lives of those around them. Mara was not a woman to be pushed around, or intimidated by such lowly insects. She brought fire to her palm, stepping closer as the smell of the woman's blood flooded her nostrils. It brought a high Mara didn't expect. She felt excitement course through her veins, her brain yelling at her to devour this pathetic excuse for a living being.

Seeing the flame come to life in Mara's hand the bandit lunged toward her, sword raised as their eyes locked for just a moment. Suddenly, the bandit stopped, body frozen as she looked deeply into her eyes. Mara likewise stared back, surprised to see the bandit's previous threatening aura vanish in a moment's notice. She sheathed her sword, her eyes seeming to fill with confusion, terror, and then emptiness. She didn't know what happened, but it was rather amusing to watch. The bandit just stared at her with empty eyes, almost as if she were already dead.

"What are you doing?" Mara asked, stepping closer to the bandit. She squeezed her hand shut, causing the flame to die out. The bandit didn't flinch, instead continuing to stare, arms hanging casually by her side.

"Hm?" The bandit replied, shaking her head before whispering to herself, blinking rapidly, as if trying to clear it of something.

"hard…to...think…" she struggled to say, her eyes looking alive again for a brief moment, filled with pure terror before they once again went empty.

How many of her victims shared that look as she laughed, begging for mercy only to be denied? Too many if Mara had to guess. It felt good to see such an insect squirming under her shoe, tasting her own medicine.

Did she consider herself a hypocrite? She did accept an assassination job and would do so again for the right coin. Could she really feel morally superior to these insects when she was also a murderer?

Yes, she could. She only murdered those who would hurt others, attack her first, or were part of a job. She didn't seek out the helpless, take joy in hurting someone innocent who begged her for mercy.

"Hard to think?" Mara repeated, her voice filled with contempt. Was she somehow doing this to the woman? How delightful. This must be the ability she heard some vampire possessed, Vampire’s Seduction she believed it was called. She stepped closer, grabbing the bandit's arms and pulling their bodies together. She'd never been this close to another woman before, not that she hadn't wanted to. The woman did have an outer beauty, and Mara found she enjoyed the warmth of their bodies' close proximity. However, no matter how beautiful the woman may look, inside she carried a great ugliness. Leaning closer she sniffed at her neck, her tongue coming out to lick across it. She couldn't hold it back anymore, viciously biting into her neck and drinking her fill of the woman's blood.

It tasted so sweet on her tongue, her senses going into overdrive as she continued to drain this woman's very life. She felt strength return to her, color returning to her skin. She felt stronger as if she could lift a boulder or run a mile. Unlatching from the woman's neck she gave it another lick, stepping back as she took in her now pale victim.

“Give me your sword” She ordered, grinning as the bandit removed her weapon from her belt, offering it to her without question. Taking it Mara latched it to her hip, looking over the bandit once more before she turned to leave, looking to find a town or some form of shelter before the upcoming dawn.


	2. Chapter 2

To say the events of the last few days were unexpected would be the understatement of the century. Surviving being stabbed in the back? Believable. Awakening from death as a vampire? Definitely unexpected. What happened next? Completely nuts!

Did she actually die to Inigo’s blade and this was all some fever dream before she left to meet whatever fate lay beyond death? After leaving the bandit stripped of her blade Mara set out for shelter, only to come across the burning wreckage of Helgen. She arrived just in time to witness a dragon flying off into the distant night sky. Searching the destruction she came across a wounded man named Raolf, who she offered aid. After patching him up the two journeyed to Riverwood, where she was requested to speak with the Jarl of Whiterun.

She made the journey, assisting a stranded jester along the way. He wished to bring his deceased mother to a new crypt but the wheel to his carriage had broken. Seeing the man in such distress she used her new charms to convince the owner of the nearby farm to fix his wheel. While she did this from the kindness of her heart, the gold offered to her for the simple task was a nice bonus. From there she met the Jarl, went on some tedious fetch quest, and helped to take down a dragon not too far off from the city.

She then learned she had the blood and soul of a dragon. Dragonborn, the locals called her. It honestly shocked her more than the dragons themselves, as she never viewed herself as someone with such great potential. Sure, she didn’t think lowly of herself either. She believed herself capable of becoming a great mage someday, but a Dragonborn? It was more than she ever expected.

Then, to top it all off, the Jarl granted her the title of Thane. She now owned a home in the city. It all blew her mind. She grew up poor, never having enough gold to even make the journey to Winterhold or to buy the needed supplies to become a proper mage. She spent her entire life as a nobody, yet now the guards and even the Jarl himself looked at her with respect. It was all so sudden and she wasn’t sure how to handle it. But at the very least she now had someplace to lay low during daylight hours.

As darkness once again blanketed the world she rose from her bed, passing the room of her housecarl, Lydia, and exiting the small home. Lydia was a strong woman, one who promised to fight by her side and to protect all that she possessed. She would have much preferred to have her friendship over some Thane and servant relationship, so she vowed to only speak to Lydia as she would a friend and to never make demands of her. This included protecting Lydia if she ever needed to, and never feeding on her. She made a silent vow to herself upon becoming a vampire and it was to never feed on her friends or those she cared for. She knew she would have to feed on someone to survive though, so while she primarily planned to target bandits she decided if she ever did need to feed on someone innocent she would be sure to cause them no harm.

She began to walk through the quiet town, her eyes scanning the dark environment for a specific tiny figure sure to be sleeping somewhere on the cold, harsh ground. The poor young thing begged her for a single coin when she first arrived in town. While she’d never been homeless, she knew how it felt to struggle for survival in a world surrounded by those with more money than she ever had. After a short walk, she found the young girl, sleeping behind the Bannered Mare. She knelt down beside her, giving her a gentle shake.

“Hm?...”

The young girl slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes as she turned slightly. She found herself face to face with Mara, the older of the two smiling at her brightly. The young girl swallowed nervously as she spotted the set of fangs in Mara’s mouth, moving away quickly only to feel the solid wall of the Bannered Mare behind her. Mara’s smile dropped a little, following the young girl quickly to prevent her from running away in terror.

“A-are you going to eat me?” she stuttered timidly, hugging herself as if that could offer any form of protection from a vampire. Mara was quick to shake her head.

“No, child. Relax, I will not harm you. Please, can you tell me why you beg for money, and your name perhaps?” Mara asked, her voice kind.

“It's...It's Lucia...I'm doing what Brenuin said I should do. He’s the only one that’s been nice to me since...since mama…”

Ah, the poor child lost her mother. Mara understood that all too well, though her parents had passed while she was much older, so she could properly care for herself at the time. It seemed not many people cared for this lost, innocent child.

“...since she died. My aunt and uncle took over our farm and threw me out. Said I wasn’t good for anything. I wound up here, but...I...I don’t know what to do. I miss her so much…”

A small fire lit behind Mara’s eyes, aimed at the two monsters who would throw something so precious into the streets. She silently considered finding these two and teaching them a lesson, perhaps feasting on them both. She held back to desire to lick her lips, not wanting to frighten the young Lucia who likely still feared she would be bitten. She would decide what to do with them later, for now, the little girl needed some support.

“I could adopt you if you want. I know you think my fangs are kind of scary, but I promise you I don’t ever want to hurt you” she told her, her voice filled with compassion and patience.

“R-really? You really don't want to eat me?"

"No, Lucia, I don't. In all honesty, I don't want to hurt anybody" Mara answered.

"Do you...do you have a place I could live?” she asked, the look of fear shifting into a look of hope. Mara smiled at the reaction.

“Yes, I recently obtained a house here in Whiterun. I live with my friend Lydia, who I'm sure would be delighted to meet you. She’s human, too, so you don’t have to worry. I’ll be the only vampire in the house. Think you can keep it a secret, between the two of us?”

“Oh, wow! O-of course I can! Why do you want to keep it secret?" She asked, looking confused.

"Most people would be afraid of me, much like you were before. I don't want to scare anyone" Mara replied, leaving out the tiny but important detail that those scared people may attempt to kill her if they learned the truth.

"That makes sense...Are you...are you sure? You really wouldn't mind?”

“Yes, I’m sure...daughter”

Lucia's eyes lit up like stars, an excited smile gracing her lips as she quickly got to her feet. Mara only chuckled, lifting herself up as well.

“Yay! Thank you so much, mama! I promise I'll be the best daughter ever!” Lucia practically screamed with excitement. Mara simply reached over, ruffling the young girl's hair.

"Of that, I have no doubt"


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so maybe this wouldn't be as easy as she initially thought it would be. Only feed on bandits when hungry? Hah. She would need to find one first. Feed on the innocent? While she agreed with doing so so long as she caused them no harm, it proved to be quite the daunting task when it was in the middle of the day!

Everyone was awake! Who was she going to feed on at noon? Sure, she could attempt her vampire's seduction, but she soon learned that didn't work on everybody. What would she do even if it did work, feed on a merchant in front of all their customers? It wasn't like she could seduce them in front of everyone and simply ask them to walk away with her. They would ask questions.

It was driving her mad. She sat in her bedroom, head in her hands as she tried to stave off the desire to sink her teeth into the first living thing within reaching distance.

In truth, even if she could feed on one of the people in this city it left her feeling uncomfortable. She grew to actually care for them, seeing them every day as she became accustomed to living here. They were her neighbors, they greeted her as she walked by. They were kind to her, for the most part, so how could she in good conscience force herself onto them?

For the first time since her transformation, she began to feel like this was more of a curse than a blessing. She didn't need to feed often, but it was still enough to be a hindrance in her daily life. Not to mention how weak the sunlight made her feel when she did venture out during the day.

Thank the gods for Lydia. As the two battled together she proved invaluable during daylight combat. The two of them completed several small quests for residents of the town, such as the times they cleared out Swindler's Den, Valtheim Towers, and White River Watch. She was a mighty warrior, ready to defend her and always excited to prove her worth. Mara couldn't think of a better person to fight beside.

Feeling her hunger once more she began grinding her teeth in frustration. She suddenly stood, only to gasp as she came face to face with Lydia. So caught up in her own mind she hadn't heard her approach. Lydia quickly reached out and grabbed Mara's arm, preventing her from falling back.

"Are you alright, my Thane?" She asked, giving her a look of worry. Mara simply sighed, shaking her head as Lydia released her arm. She sat back onto her bed, looking up at her with a tired expression.

"Not really, I guess I just don't feel very well" Mara replied, trying to hide what was really wrong with her. Her eyes lingered on Lydia's neck for only a moment, before looking back into her eyes. Even if it were for only a moment, it was a moment too long. She would never force herself on Lydia. She was one of her closest and most trusted friends.

"Do you need to feed?" She asked, causing the world to slow down around the two of them as Mara's brain attempted to process the question. Did she know? Not only did she blatantly ask that her tone was one of complete nonchalance. It was as if she knew for some time and didn't care.

"...Why do you ask that in particular?" Mara asked back with caution. Lydia just shrugged.

"Well, I know vampires have a resistance to disease. I figure you can't be sick, so you must need to feed" She replied, again so casually. Mara was touched, surprised to see she didn't seem to look at her any differently with this knowledge in hand.

"How did you find out?"

Lydia snorted, chuckling to herself as she sat in the chair across from her.

"We've fought together, my Thane. I saw a bandit fatally wound you during combat back at the Valtheim Towers. He stabbed you in the chest, yet after falling to one knee you stood and decapitated him. When we reunited you had no chest wound whatsoever. After that I subtly watched you, it wasn't hard to figure out. I'll admit I was relieved to learn you were undead. I thought I'd failed in protecting you that day"

It was Mara's turn to chuckle, shaking her head.

"You worry about me too much. When that happened you were fighting two bandits on your own. I thought for sure you would not have noticed. Silly of me, I suppose. But thank you for still sticking by my side. You are invaluable to me, Lydia."

The two smiled at each other, Mara fully aware her close friend was now gazing at her fangs.

"What do you do to sustain yourself?" Lydia asked, her eyes refocusing on Mara's own.

"I've survived on bandits thus far, but I honestly need to feed badly right now. I considered feeding on someone without them knowing, of course causing them no harm in the process, but I…"

"You feel uncomfortable forcing yourself on someone innocent" Lydia answered for her.

"That, and the fact that everyone's awake at this hour," Mara told her honestly, with a hint of annoyance, "feeding on someone now would be rather difficult"

Lydia nodded, appearing thoughtful for a moment before responding.

"It doesn't have to be difficult. You could always feed on me, my Thane"

Mara was floored at that unexpected offer. Her eyes once again fell to Lydia's neck, biting her bottom lip as she quickly turned away.

"No, I couldn't possibly do that. I made a silent vow to myself to never feed off of someone I care about, like my family and friends."

"I see, so you'd rather force yourself on some unexpected innocent than feed on someone willing to share her blood"

That statement made Mara feel like she had been splashed in the face with cold water. She turned her gaze back to Lydia, unsure how to respond. She opened her mouth only to be cut off. Lydia wasn't done.

"Either that, or you'll just starve yourself until everyone in town can see what you really are. I will fight for you if it comes to that, but I do not know if I can protect you from everyone. You are my Thane, allow me to do this for you"

"Do you really trust me that strongly?" Mara asked, "How do you know I won't just drain you? Most vampires are attacked on sight, feared by the common folk. Seen as evil and manipulative creatures."

"Drain me?" Lydia scoffed, brushing it off as if it were utter nonsense, "My Thane, I trust you with my life. We have fought together, where I saw you fight to protect me as I have fought to protect you. When you first arrived in Whiterun you helped to fight a dragon, without offers of payment or reward, in order to protect a town of people you knew nothing about. You sought out the Jarl of your own volition in order to protect Riverwood. You chose to treat me like a friend, rather than a simple housecarl. You are a good person, no matter if you are living or undead, and I will never fear you"

Mara felt a warmth in her chest at Lydia's declarations. When she awoke as a vampire she assumed everyone would hate and fear her upon learning the truth. It was why she strived to remain sated, to avoid anyone possibly learning what she really was. But it seemed both Lucia, after explaining herself, and Lydia were both ready to accept her as she was. She had no expectations of the rest of Skyrim, it was a cold and selfish place, but she took peace in knowing she never had to deal with it alone thanks to these two wonderful people.

"Thank you, Lydia"


	4. Chapter 4

After completing several jobs, some bounties offered from the Jarl himself, Mara found herself with enough gold to afford the carriage stationed outside of Whiterun. The prices were spiked due to the civil war, but she figured it was worth the extra cost to comfortably travel. She originally intended to visit Winterhold, where she would try to join the College. However, before her departure, she received word of a crazy Khajiit matching Inigo’s description being seen in Riften. From what she’d been told he desperately begged the guards to jail him, so her first order of business was to travel there and enter the Riften jail to see for herself if the backstabber was indeed there.

After a few days' journey, she entered the Riften jail. The guards brought her to his cell, and as she peered inside at him she recognized him immediately. Taking in his current condition she felt shocked. He sat, nearly naked, looking as if he held the weight of the world on his shoulders. As he looked up at her, she could see mountains of guilt and self-hatred buried deep in his somber eyes. Those same eyes suddenly lit, his downcast ears standing up as he spotted her. Quickly, he leaped from his chair, grabbing the bars and staring at her with a wild look about him. Mara found herself so startled by the reaction she took an involuntary step back.

“Come to kill me at last have you? Thank the gods, I can bear the guilt no longer”

His voice reflected the same guilt his eyes did moments ago. He sounded tired as if he hadn’t slept well in a very long time. Not only that, it sounded as if he longed for her blade to piece his ribcage.

“I know that I must die. Beware though, my new found honor demands I defend myself”

“...um…” Mara replied, wanting to slap herself for being caught off guard so easily and mumbling out such a lame response. Shaking her head and clearing her throat she instead tried again.

“Why do you believe I have come to kill you?” she managed, surprised yet again by his sudden look of irritation.

“I am in no mood for jokes. Strike me down, take your revenge!” He yelled, shaking the bars slightly as he practically begged for death.

“Do I look like I'm laughing? Why are you even in here?” Mara bit back, stepping closer to him and gesturing at the cell he currently occupied. Inigo winced at her tone.

“After I stabbed you I finally realized my mistake and tried to turn myself in. Your body was gone. The guards did not believe me,” He replied, voice laced with desperation, “They said I was wasting their time. I had to pay them to put me in this cell. It is where I belong. I needed to repent. I need to repent.”

“So, because my body was gone you assumed I survived? Your blade dug fairly deep, Inigo. Why didn’t you assume I'd been dragged off for whatever reason. Necromantic research, perhaps bandits?” Mara asked calmly.

“I’d heard tales of a remarkable adventurer, both brave and resourceful, matching your description. They claim you slew a dragon in defense of Whiterun. Who else could master such a remarkable feat? I knew it was you, it had to be! I knew you would be coming for me, so I waited. Are you going to kill me, or not?”

In truth, seeing him in this condition made her hesitate to answer yes to that question. While she strived to be a good person, she did not hesitate to brand her own particular form of justice against those who would do harm unto others. Bandits, outlaws, slavers? She would not care if they died to her blade, her bow, or her fangs. Backstabbers, greedy and selfish liars, they too were on that list. She even contemplated that he may make an interesting snack. But now she could see clearly just how much this affected him. He truly regretted his past actions, that much was obvious. How could she strike down a man who regretted what he had done so strongly, so deeply? Despite everything that had happened between them she could not believe this pure display of grief and regret to be an act or ruse.

“I know why you tried to kill me, Inigo. You wanted my half of the reward. Did you get it?” Mara asked, eyeing him thoughtfully.

“No. Dupan was murdered by his sister before I made it back to his keep. Our deal died with him. I am sorry, for what it is worth. I was hooked on Skooma and had a bit of a debt problem at the time. I became desperate, and threw our friendship away because of it. Greed is an evil like no other.” he replied, sounding defeated.

Desperation does make people do crazy things. She wished he had asked her for help, back then, rather than attempting to kill her. While she didn't agree with the use of Skooma she would have been willing to help him in other ways.

“Are you still hooked on Skooma?” she asked, noting a distinct lack of it in his cell. At least from what she could see.

“No. I am done with the stuff. I want to die with my senses intact. Kill me now. I am ready” he answered.

Eyeing him up and down she tried to find any traces of deception but was pleased to see he held none. He, as she deduced before, simply looked tired and grief-stricken. Perhaps Inigo had more of a heart than Mara initially believed, and if that were the case maybe she could lead him down a better path.

"I survived our encounter because it turns out I'd been infected with sanguinare vampiris. I'm undead, Inigo"

As she told him this she parted her lips, showing him her fangs. He looked to them, his eyes shifting to a look of fear briefly before he quickly pushed it down.

"Afraid of vampires?" She lightly teased, grinning as he swallowed hard.

"They make me uncomfortable, but if this is how you wish to kill me, so be it" he replied.

She reached out, placing her hand over his own. He looked confused at the contact, his eyes darting between Mara's own and their hands.

“Fight with me”

His eyes widened at her words, almost as if he didn't believe them.

“I fight with you?” he asked, his voice laced with the same shock evident on his face.

“Yes, Inigo. I can tell you're a good person and you regret what you've done. Instead of dying pointlessly in this cell fight with me.” Mara answered, her grin widening as she saw him smile for the first time in their conversation.

“Or die defending you! Yes! I accept! I feel lighter in my heart now that you have given me this opportunity. It will be like old times.”

“Well, I hope it won’t be exactly like old times” Mara chuckled.

“Do not joke about such things, my friend. The sadness I feel for what I have done is brutal enough, for now.”

* * *

"Does the sunlight hurt you, my friend?" Inigo asked, eyeing Mara with concern as the two walked through Riften. She turned to him with a weak smile as he asked this.

"It's a little uncomfortable, yes. I feel exhausted during the days, but I can manage"

He smiled at that, tilting his head slightly as his ears perked up.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about, so long as I am by your side. Perhaps in the future however we should travel at night"

She smiled in return, opening her mouth to respond as his entire posture suddenly shifted. He looked tense, his friendly aura changing to one of defensiveness. He rested his hand on the hilt of his blade, staring past her as she heard a booming voice coming from right behind her.

"You there. The Dawnguard is looking for anyone willing to fight against the growing vampire menace. What do you say?"

She turned sharply, eyeing the Orsimer cautiously as he watched her with interest.

"Growing vampire menace?" Mara asked, looking confused. What growing vampire menace? She hadn't seen any vampire. Well, none other than herself. Speaking of which, did this Orsimer really just approach a vampire and ask her to join a group of vampire hunters? At least, she assumed they were vampire hunters. She'd never heard of the Dawnguard. If that were the case he clearly wasn't very good at his job. Not that she was complaining, of course.

"Yes, the growing vampire menace. If you haven't noticed then you're not paying attention. Like everyone else around here."

She narrowed her eyes at that remark. How rude.

"Haven't you heard the Hall of Vigilants was destroyed by vampires? They never took the threat seriously, and now they've paid the price"

What the hell is the Hall of Vigilants? Mara didn't plan to ask, considering how he thought her ignorant for not noticing a vampire attack on a group she never even heard of before.

"I take it your group are vampire hunters?" She asked instead, understanding Inigo's sudden posture change. He was prepared to defend her if this hunter figured out what she was. He must have heard of the Dawnguard.

"We are. We search and destroy those bloodsucking scum wherever we find them" he replied.

Bloodsucking scum, eh? Mara didn't blame him, truthfully. She doubted many were like her. It was very likely most vampire were cruel and considered themselves better than non-vampire. Most likely viewing them as a source of food and nothing more.

She considered how to respond to this hunter. She knew very little about her kind, or those who hunt her kind. Perhaps if she sent Inigo into the Dawnguard headquarters he could learn more about them, so she better knew what she would be up against in the future. How did that old saying go? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer? Either way, she knew he would gladly play along if it meant protecting her, or so she assumed based on his current actions and attitude.

She did wonder if perhaps she were allowing herself to trust Inigo too soon. He did stab her in the back, quite literally, the last time she trusted him. However, actions spoke louder than words, and despite knowing what she was he remained silent in front of this vampire hunter. She was weakened. If he chose to side with the hunter she couldn't guarantee her survival. Yet he stood, hand on his blade, ready to defend her. It seemed her judgment about him back at the jail had been correct. He did regret his actions and he could be trusted.

"Alright, I'm interested. Where might I go to join your group?"


End file.
